


In the Haze of Hesitation

by SylviaNightshade



Series: Resolutions Are Hard to Come By [3]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Anxiety, Bisexual Eleven | Jane Hopper, Bisexual Mike Wheeler, Coming Out, Deep Conversations, F/F, Family Feels, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Gay Will Byers, Gay solidarity, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Kissing, Lesbian Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Love Confessions, M/M, Mike Wheeler Loves Will Byers, Past Eleven | Jane Hopper/Mike Wheeler, Past Maxine "Max" Mayfield/Lucas Sinclair, Post-Canon, Sharing a Bed, Wholesome, Will Byers Loves Mike Wheeler, background Nancy/Jonathan, friendship feels, post-season 3
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:29:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23851606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SylviaNightshade/pseuds/SylviaNightshade
Summary: Okay, maybe Mike is overreacting a little bit. In his defense, he’s about to see and speak to his girlfriend slash ex-girlfriend, whom he hasn’t seen or spoken to inthree months, and his best friend slash ex-best friend turned crush, whom he hasn’t seen or spoken to infourmonths. How does anyone with emotions handle that?ORElmax and Byler are finally happening (with some help from friends and rehearsed confessions that may or may not go as planned)
Relationships: Eleven | Jane Hopper/Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Will Byers/Mike Wheeler
Series: Resolutions Are Hard to Come By [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1597369
Comments: 25
Kudos: 108





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The conclusion is finally here! I was so hype to write this and now I have the honor of presenting: what I wish was canon but accept that it never will be because that's what fanfic is for. A lot less friendship in this one, comparatively, and a lot more idiots in love. Fluffy as hell, with some dirty jokes because they are fifteen. But no dirty content because they are fifteen. Also, multiple POVs. Enjoy!

“I’m sweating.”

“Mike.”

“I didn’t even know that I could sweat this much.”

“ _Mike_.”

“Is it hot in here?”

“It’s November.” Max fixes him with an unimpressed look. “Seriously? You need to calm down.”

Mike glares back at her. “Seriously? Not helping.”

“Well, neither is pacing the room until you pass out.”

“I have to pace! You’re just sitting there.” Mike throws his arms up, exasperated. “How the fuck are you not nervous?”

“I’m shitting my pants,” Max says, standing from the couch. “The only reason I’m not showing it is because you’re freaking out enough for the both of us.”

Mike lets out a groan and buries his face in his hands. “This is going to suck.”

After a moment, he feels cool air on him and looks up to see that Max has plugged in the basement fan. Even though it is, in fact, November, and barely forty degrees outside. Mike sighs and moves closer to it, spreading out his limbs to absorb the breeze. “Thank you.”

“Go change your clothes,” Max tells him, arms crossed. “And put on some deodorant. And then come back down so I can give you a proper pep talk before they get here.”

Mike scoffs. “Yeah right,” he mutters. “ _Pep talk_.”

Max narrows her eyes at him. “Or I could just leave. Or, better yet,” she says, grabbing his bicep and pulling them towards the stairs. “Shove you out the front door looking like a hot mess.”

“Okay, okay!” Mike wrenches free of her grip. “I’m going.”

As he starts up the stairs, Max calls, “Don’t forget the deodorant!”

Mike flips her off without looking back.

Okay, so, maybe he’s overreacting a little bit. In his defense, he’s about to see and speak to his girlfriend slash ex-girlfriend, who he hasn’t seen or spoken to in _three months_ , and his best friend slash ex-best friend turned crush, who he hasn’t seen or spoken to in _four_ months. How does anyone with emotions handle that?

Granted, Max has been helping him prepare for this, sort through his feelings, all that, and it has helped, to know that they’re in this together, unrequited dumbasses that they are. Mike just really thinks his situation is worse. He has to break up with someone and try to subtly confess his feelings to someone else who _is a boy and also one of his best friends in the entire world what the fuck is his life_ —

Mike slips into his room and closes the door behind him before promptly sagging against it. Breathing. He needs to breathe. He’s worked on this with Max.

He takes a few deep breaths through his nose and a rank smell forces him to concede that Max was right about the deodorant comment.

He commences undressing and redressing while also attempting to keep his body temperature from spiking and ruining another outfit. Which is not to say that Mike has any outfits to ruin. He basically owns sweaters and khakis exclusively in terms of cold-weather garb.

He makes sure to apply deodorant (heavily) and even applies some Chapstick (only because it’s winter, do not think about kissing, do _not thinking about kissing_ ). When he’s finished, he checks himself out in the mirror, smooths his hair. _Okay, not bad. Not great, but not unredeemable_.

In the reflection, Mike spots the piece of paper poking out from the book on his nightstand. It’s the picture that Will drew of them. Mike unfolds it, gripping the edges maybe a bit too tightly. This had better stay up here until the opportune moment. Because, yeah, they also have to talk about this. And so many other confusing things.

Mike tucks the drawing back into the book and leaves his room, bumping into Nancy on the stairs. She eyes him and smirks. “Dressing up for your girlfriend?”

“Shut up,” he says. “Like you’re not about to go change for Jonathan.”

Nancy blows him a kiss and keeps going. Mike tries to scrub the image of the two of them from his head, especially because now they’re both interested in the Byers brothers—

Wait, is that… that’s not weird, right? Two people who are siblings liking two people who are also siblings? Mike supposes it would be that way even if he was still with El, since she’s been ‘adopted’.

He decides not to think about it.

When he gets to the basement, Max looks over him with approval. “Wow. Okay. This might not be a total disaster.”

Mike crosses his arms. “This is your pep talk?”

Max just grins at him. “You’re going to be fine, asshole. We’re both going to be fine.” Moving closer, she pats his shoulder. “You have a history of keeping your head in a crisis. Just because the before is nerve-wracking doesn’t mean the during will be.”

“You say that now,” Mike starts, but Max shushes him.

“We have faced _literal_ life and death situations. This is nothing.”

Mike clenches his fists. “Then why does it feel so much scarier?”

For a moment, Max hesitates, mouth half-open, and Mike gets a curling in the pit of his stomach. _Yep. They’re doomed_.

“Because emotions suck?” Max suggests.

Mike heaves another sigh and turns away from her. “ _Fuck_ me.”

“No thanks,” Max quips.

Before Mike has time to respond, the basement door crashes open and Dustin comes barreling down the stairs, a much calmer Lucas on his heels.

“Holy _shit_ , guys,” Dustin says, breathing hard. “This is actually happening. They’re actually coming back— I mean, _holy_ shit.”

“Yeah, I can't believe it,” Lucas agrees. “It feels like they’ve been gone forever.” He’s looking everywhere but at Max.

Mike glances over to see Max staring right at Lucas with a broken expression and instantly empathy washes over him. It’s been fairly tense between the two of them since the final break-up. Considering it was months ago, Mike didn’t expect the tension to continue for this long. But Max still hasn’t told Lucas the real reason they can’t be together.

Which Mike respects, of course, but he thinks Lucas would stop being so awkward around Max if she just told him—that it’s her, not him.

“If only I could have gotten Suzie here, too,” Dustin says. “Then we’d have the whole gang.”

The three of them simultaneously roll their eyes. “Yeah, wouldn’t that be a treat,” Max deadpans.

“You guys are all jealous of what we have,” Dustin replies smugly. “All of you. Jealous. Assholes.” He points to each of them in turn.

“I’m actually good without the discount version of Snow White and Prince Charming clogging my ears 24/7,” Max shoots back. “But sure.”

Mike and Lucas laugh while Dustin shakes his head. “Unbelievable. None of you recognize true talent even when it’s standing—” he gestures to himself “—right in front of you!”

They’re interrupted from bullying Dustin any further by Mike’s mom shouting from somewhere in the house. “Kids! They’re here!”

Mike’s stomach flips. _Oh, God, here we go_.

Dustin flies back up the stairs, oblivious to his friends’ hesitation. Lucas looks between Max and Mike with what seems like annoyance before following, leaving the two of them alone.

Mike turns to see Max with that sad expression on her face again. “You should really tell him.”

It’s not exactly fair of Mike to say, and he notices Max bristle. “One thing at a time. Right now, we have some friends to reunite with.” She reaches out to mess up his hair. “And possible lovers.”

Mike smacks her hand away.

~<:>~

“Entering Hawkins,” Joyce announces from the driver’s seat. She exchanges a smile with Jonathan before glancing in the rearview mirror at Will and El. “You guys don’t seem nearly as excited.”

“That’s because we’re not getting laid,” Will says.

Joyce stifles a laugh while Jonathan twists around to look at his brother. “Dude, really?”

Will shrugs and goes back to looking out the window. El has noticed a major increase in tension the closer they’ve gotten to the town, and she knows it’s because he’s thinking about Mike. She reaches over to place a hand on his shoulder. He turns his head and gives her a small, grateful smile.

When they pull up in front of the Wheeler’s house, El sees Dustin first, careening across the front lawn at light speed. This prompts Will to unbuckle as fast as possible and the two boys fling themselves at each other; Dustin even lifts Will off his feet a bit.

El climbs out of the backseat, too, and Dustin immediately wraps his arms around her, picks her up, and spins them around, squeezing laughter from her.

When Dustin finally puts her down, his eyes are misty. “I missed you guys. So. Much.”

“I know,” Will says, and Dustin hugs him again.

El looks past the two of them just in time to see Nancy jump onto Jonathan, latching her arms around his neck while he catches her legs and holds her there, one hand splayed at her waist. She pulls back and kisses him soundly, clutching his face, his hair, and the two of them are sort of laughing, sort of crying.

El turns, smiling softly from that scene, to find Lucas hugging Will now. There’s still no sign of Mike or Max, and El doesn’t see either of them until after she hugs Lucas and looks over his shoulder.

Mike is wearing one of his signature sweaters, gray and blue pattern subtle as ever. It’s cold enough that he should need a jacket but he isn’t wearing one, and El can see the warmth in his dark eyes from here. His hair is adorably fluffy.

Max walks beside him and she _is_ wearing a jacket that fits her snugly. She looks so genuinely happy to see El, gorgeous smile on her face. Her red hair is down and shining in the faint sun, like her cheeks and lips and…

 _Oh, they’re both so pretty_.

El flushes at the realization that she’s going to have to hug one of them first. Normally, she would run at them, but her legs are rooted to the ground in order to spare her from making the decision.

Mike gets to El first, which actually relieves her, for some odd reason. His pace speeds up ever so slightly once he’s a few feet away, and she takes a step forward, too, and they melt into each other, bodies reacting from memory. El sighs at the familiar warmth as Mike presses a kiss to the top of her head. “Hi,” he murmurs.

“Hi,” she says into his chest.

They separate after a while, but neither of them make a move to close the gap again and actually kiss. They just stare at each other.

“I missed you,” Mike says.

“I missed you, too.”

The unspoken _why haven’t you called_ hangs in the air between them. El bites her lip.

Luckily, she’s saved by Mike’s gaze darting behind her where she knows Will is, and El looks to the right to see Max, waiting patiently for her with a look of incredible fondness. El and Mike glance at each other, a bit stilted, and then move at the same time to their respective friends.

When Max hugs her, she grabs on tight to El’s back, rocking them a little. “ _You_ are in big trouble,” the redhead says into her ear. El tries her hardest not to blush, just enjoys holding Max for a little while longer.

“I am?” El asks once they’ve disentangled.

“Yes.” Max’s tone is stern, but her eyes are playful. “We haven’t talked in so long that now you’re going to be overwhelmed with everything I have to tell you. I have many surprises, trust me.”

El laughs, somewhat nervously. “I… have surprises, too.”

“Really?”

El nods, staring Max down with what she hopes is a coy enough smile.

Max rolls her eyes with a grin. “So mysterious.” She slings her arm around El’s shoulders and leads them towards the house. “Come on. Thanksgiving dinner awaits.”

El leans into Max’s side perhaps more than is strictly necessary.

~<:>~

Mike looks at Will while he’s hugging El. And really, what kind of _dumbass_ idea is that? Of course, Will only catches his eye for a few seconds before looking away. That makes Mike feel even fucking better about approaching him.

And then it’s kind of awkward with El, but Mike senses Will looking at him, so he looks back. And when he does, all he can see is the boy who disappeared, standing there waiting for Mike to come save him, and the distance catches up with them all at once, and the shields fall away from Will’s face.

And Mike moves, faster than he did with El, to crush Will in a hug. Will’s arms are tight across his back, and Mike rests his chin on Will’s shoulder, and it feels like they’re just those two tiny boys that met on the swings all those years ago. Like they could stay here, holding each other forever, and nothing would ever have to be complicated again.

Mike’s reluctant to pull back, but he does before the hug lasts too long. ~~Wouldn’t want their friends to see them being overly affectionate~~. Except that the second he meets those huge brown eyes again, Mike forgets the entirety of the English language. “I’m… I… glad you’re back.” _Yeah, good one_.

“Only for the week,” Will reminds him.

And shit, he looks so sad about that fact, Mike wants to put a hand on his cheek or something. He manages to resist the urge. “Not nearly long enough.”

Will keeps staring at him with those _fucking_ eyes, prompting Mike to stutter for a moment before the words tumble out of him. “I need to talk to you.”

_Shit. Really? Right now? Couldn’t have picked a worse time, Mike._

Will tilts his head, giving Mike a cute, confused frown. “What—”

“Guys!” Dustin interrupts, grabbing both of their arms and hauling them towards the house. “Come on! It’s food time.”

So, now Mike and Will have _that_ hanging between them.

And Mike has to suffer through an entire meal with Will and El on either side of him, cursing his stupid mouth and wondering what the fuck he’s going to do once he actually has time to talk to the two of them (separately— God, he would spontaneously combust if they were both there to hear everything he has to say). Max is sitting on the corner by El, flashing Mike reassuring, though mischievous glances. Mike is once again grateful not to be alone in his emotional turmoil.

But then there’s barely any time after the meal for the six of them to hang out (which is fine, because Mike sure as _hell_ doesn’t want the experience of coming out in front Lucas and Dustin as well). And Will and El are tired from the trip, so it’s not long before the Byers all head back out to the car to get their stuff.

The sleeping arrangements are equally as stress-inducing as everything else. Originally, they were all set to stay with the Wheelers, but as soon as Joyce hears that Max’s parents are away during _Thanksgiving_ , she refuses to let Max sleep one more night alone in that big house. And naturally, because El and Max are friends, Joyce proposes the three ‘girls’ stay together.

“But the boys will want to be here,” Joyce says. “Right?”

Jonathan shrugs. “I’m definitely cool with staying here.”

“Yes, and you’ll be sleeping in the guest room, young man,” Mike’s mom chimes in, exchanging a knowing look with Joyce.

“Gross,” Mike comments. Nancy rolls her eyes.

In theory, the situation is ideal. Less people means more time Mike can spend alone with Will, thus providing him with ample opportunities to make his dreaded confession. The same goes for Max and El. Plus, keeping El and Will separate is good for Mike’s mental health. The more he sees the two of them side-by-side the more guilty and confused he feels.

In practice, the situation is balls. Because now Mike has zero excuses to hide behind. Now it’s all on him and his anxious brain to nut up and talk to Will.

Max expresses a similar sentiment before she leaves with Joyce and El, hugging Mike and whispering, “I’m still shitting myself.”

Mike can only offer a sympathetic grimace in response.

And then when he’s lying in his own bed later, all he can think about is the fact that Will is two floors below him, and they should be sleeping together ( _fuck, no, brain, no, not sleeping together like that, stop it_ ), or at least, they should be closer.

When he’s still awake after an hour, Mike gets up and moves as quietly as possible to the basement. He’s not sure what, exactly, his excuse will be when he gets there.

_Hey, remember when I said I wanted to talk? I might dump El for you._

_Hey, I couldn’t sleep knowing you were alone down here. Come up to my room._

_Hey, I totally screwed you over this summer, but can we be friends again? And possibly more?_

Mike’s saved from having to come up with something actually viable, because Will is comatose on the couch, all tucked in with one arm dangling out from under the covers. He’s even snoring a little. Mike looks over him softly, remembering all the times their sleepovers ended up like this— the four of them passed out in weird positions on this floor.

Will looks incredibly peaceful, not even a crease between his eyebrows. Mike wants to trace his finger there.

He pointedly does not, instead opting to gather the pillows and blankets that make up El’s old fort and arrange them beside the couch. He’ll just stay here for a while, get a few hours of sleep, leave before Will wakes up.

Even as he falls under, Mike knows it’s a dumb plan. He finds he doesn’t really care.

~<:>~

El is awake enough to listen to Max ramble on for a while about some female superheroes and the idiotic ways people behave in high school, but El doesn’t make many contributions to the conversation. Mostly, she stares at Max and tries not to picture what it would be like to kiss her.

Max must take notice of El’s drooping eyelids, because she laughs at herself. “You want me to shut up now, don’t you?”

“No,” El says, but she sinks down onto the floor and shuts her eyes completely.

“Liar.” Max stands and nudges El with her foot. “Come on. If you’re going to sleep, the bed is more comfortable.”

El’s heart pounds a little faster at that; she cracks one eye open— only to see Max changing into her pajamas. El quickly shuts the eye again, heat rushing to her face. It took a while for El to learn the value of privacy after growing up in a lab, but she understands it plenty now. And she certainly understands why catching somebody you’re attracted to naked is awkward.

She waits there, eyes closed, holding her breath, not sure when she can look again.

Max comes back after she’s dressed and crouches down beside her, placing her hands on El’s shoulders and shaking them. “Seriously. I’m not letting you pass out on the floor.”

El lets out a little groan and sits up, though she’s immediately startled by how close they are. And how nice Max smells. “Uh,” El manages. “Which bed?”

“Mine.” Max takes her hands and pulls El to her feet.

El glances at it, stomach fluttering. “Where will you sleep?”

Max blinks. “Well, I thought we could share, like before. It’s a pretty big bed.” She hesitates, searching El’s face. “Unless—”

“No!” El cuts in. “Uh, yes. We can… share.”

Max gives her that easy grin and tilts her chin. “Okay. Try and stay awake long enough to get out of those clothes.”

El watches Max retreat and analyzes her words. She could almost swear she heard a teasing hint in the redhead’s tone. Almost like… flirting. That’s the word. But El can’t be sure. She shakes the thought from her head and takes her clothes across the hall to the bathroom.

When she comes back, Max is in bed under the covers. El climbs in beside her, waits for Max to switch off the lamp, and then, they’re in darkness. El can feel her heart beating in her throat. The proximity bothers her in a way that it didn’t before her realization. Because she could just reach out, a little bit, and…

“Night, El,” Max says, burrowing in.

El sighs softly. “Night.”

~<:>~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am working on finishing this up but there will definitely be some time in between updates (because I am trash with uploading but rest assured I do plan to finish this). We are headed into MAJOR BYLER/ELMAX TERRITORY and I hope y'all are as hype as I am :)


	2. Chapter 2

It’s been a while since Will slept this well. He has to attribute it to the fact that he’s in the Wheeler basement, where his body remembers spending many a night and morning completely dead to the world. That and the couch is surprisingly comfortable.

When he blinks his eyes open, Will can see a blurry shape on the ground in front of him that he doesn’t recall being there before. Frowning, he squints and rubs his face to clear his vision. At first, he thinks it’s a pile of blankets. But then he spots the fluff of dark hair at one end and nearly has a heart attack.

Mike. _Mike_ is down here with him. Mike is sleeping beside him— when the hell did he even— why did he—

Will’s brain unhelpfully provides various romantic explanations and he gets caught up staring at Mike’s adorable fucking nose and pretty lips—

 _Shit. Stop_. This is what Will has previously deemed _forbidden territory_. Because, single or not, Mike is decidedly off-limits, not to mention completely unattainable.

Which is why it’s so damn annoying when he goes and does this shit. Making Will’s heart flutter with hope at his caring, sincere, doe-eyed disposition. Holding Will’s hand, hugging him like— what the hell even _was_ that hug yesterday? And his ‘I need to talk to you.’ And now creeping down here in the middle of the night, to do what, exactly?

Will heaves a sigh and lifts his covers, swinging his legs down onto the floor. If Mike thinks he can just yank Will’s emotions around like this, he’s damn well going to deal with the consequences.

Will allows himself an extra second to admire the pretty boy in front of him before he grabs Mike’s shoulder and shakes it gently. “Mike?”

It takes a few tries for Mike to actually wake up. Will hears him groan and murmur a bit as he comes back into consciousness, but Will can’t make out what he’s trying to say.

Upon opening his eyes, finally, Mike squints up at Will, and then his eyes widen. “Hey— oh— hey—” He scrambles back in an entertaining mess of limbs as he tries to get up and tangles himself even further in the blankets. “Shit—”

Will just watches with barely contained laughter, standing from his crouch once Mike finally manages to do the same.

“Um, yeah,” Mike says, looking down at his makeshift bed. “I— I came down to talk to you, but you were already asleep.”

Will tries to ignore how cute Mike’s bedhead is. “So, you decided to camp out?”

Mike has the decency to look embarrassed. “Uh…”

The whole situation is so utterly them, and God, Will wants to kiss him for being this endearing, but he also wants to slap him for being unfairly attractive in Will’s presence when he clearly knows that Will is gay.

And here he is, doing the doe-eyes again, looking all insecure like he’s about to open up to Will about something he normally wouldn’t. And Will is such a sucker for Mike that obviously he’s going to stand there expectantly and listen (as much as he hates himself for it).

“Uh,” Mike starts. “I—”

“Will!” Jonathan opens the door to the basement. “Have you seen Mike? Mrs. Wheeler’s making breakfast!”

Mike’s gaze darts back to Will for a moment before he turns toward Jonathan’s voice. “Yeah— yeah, I’m down here!” Mike calls back. “We’re coming!”

It feels like the universe is against them ever speaking beyond awkward half-conversations that just leave both parties more dissatisfied than before. Will bites back his annoyance at his brother for interrupting.

Mike turns back to Will and jerks a thumb over his shoulder. “Well, I guess we should…”

“Yeah,” Will agrees.

He stays a respectable distance away from Mike as they climb the stairs.

~<:>~

Max wakes to El’s head resting on her shoulder.

How they managed to get this intertwined in their sleep is beyond her. Max is on her back, and El is curled into Max’s side, one arm thrown across her stomach, their legs wrapped up in the sheets. If Max tilted her chin down a few centimeters, she could kiss El’s forehead with no trouble.

Of course, she’s not going to do that. For now, Max is content to lay there and enjoy El’s warmth against her. After all, it’s not like Max is the one doing the cuddling, so she has no reason to be embarrassed. She’ll just pretend she’s asleep until El wakes up and moves away.

Except that El doesn’t move away.

Max hears her breathing turn uneven and feels her tense for a few seconds. But then, she relaxes back into Max, most likely employing the same technique. So now both of them are waiting for the other to wake up and do something about this entanglement situation.

In that moment, Max is infinitely grateful that she’s not a boy. Because, odds are, she would have a massive boner right now. Whether just morning wood or a reaction to El’s body, _that_ would be awful.

After a few unbearably long minutes, Max stretches her arm out from under El’s head and opens her eyes with a yawn. When El still doesn’t stir, Max carefully brings the arm around to El’s cheek, stroking a few strands of hair back from her temple. “El,” she says softly.

Finally, El shifts and lets her eyes flutter open, immediately looking up at Max.

“Hey,” Max smiles. “You wanna let me up, koala bear?”

She’s not sure El understands the comparison, but she slowly moves off of Max anyway, rolling to her back and yawning as well.

Max sits up and runs a hand through hair. “Did you dream about anything?”

El shakes her head. “I sleep better if I don’t.”

Max takes that to mean she slept well last night. Whether or not that was because she was in Max’s bed is open to interpretation.

“You’re adorable,” Max says, even though she doesn’t mean to. It’s just. El looks so sweet, lying there with her elbows bent and hands curled by her head, messy clothes and hair and pretty brown eyes blinking up at the ceiling.

They blink at Max now, and she can swear she sees a pink dust coating El’s cheeks. “I am?”

Max pushes down the strangled sound fluttering up in her throat and plays it off. “You know you are.” She gets out of the bed before she can say anything else stupid.

It doesn’t last very long, as she has to break the silence while she’s changing out of her pajamas and into her clothes. Under normal circumstances, Max wouldn’t feel as awkward, because she knows El doesn’t care as much about physical boundaries, but, unfortunately, “normal” circumstances don’t apply when it comes to El. Max just has to play it cool and pretend she doesn’t mind stripping in front of her crush.

“So,” she starts. “Is there anything special you want to do today?”

There’s no response for long enough that Max turns, forearms stuck through her shirtsleeves to pull it over her head, mostly covered minus the fact that she’s still only in her bra. And El is staring right at her with a very red face.

Max barely has time to process the moment before El turns away, examining the floor beside the bed. “I have to talk to Mike.”

All the previous giddiness built up in Max’s chest from the nuance collapses at the reminder. _Right. Mike. Her boyfriend._ And the person Max specifically promised she would not try to sabotage.

“Oh, yeah,” Max says casually, putting her shirt the rest of the way on. “We’ll probably go see everyone after breakfast.”

Only a few seconds after she says it, there’s a knock at the door and Joyce peers in. “I thought I heard voices. Are you two ready to eat?”

Max looks at El for confirmation. “I have to change,” El says.

Joyce nods. “Okay, sweetie. I’ll be downstairs.”

“Uh—” Max calls before Joyce can leave. “Do you want me to help? You know, locate the food?”

“Oh,” Joyce laughs. “Yes, please.”

Max nods, flipping her hair out from under the shirt collar. She glances back at El when she gets around the door, fingers on the handle, ready to close it—

And, against her better judgement, Max winks at her.

And promptly shuts the door, embarrassment flooding through her. _She’s such a useless lesbian_.

~<:>~

Mike was not in any way prepared for Will to be a foot from his face when he woke up this morning but he guesses that’s on him. For being too impulsive for his own good. Thank _fucking God_ Jonathan interrupted when he did, because Mike has no idea what idiocy he would have stuttered out next. And, if he’s being honest with himself, he doesn’t feel entirely comfortable making his confession to Will until he’s had ‘the talk’ with El.

He thunks his head back against against his bedroom wall. _Shit_. He’ll never really be ready for any of this; he just has to do it.

“Mike?” His mother knocks on the door as she opens it. “Everyone’s here.”

Mike swallows. “Yeah.”

_Time to suck up the anxiety and get this shit over with._

He stands and approaches the doorway, where his mother is cautiously leaning. “Where are you guys going? Somewhere fun?”

“I don’t know, mom,” Mike says. “I promise we’ll be home by nine, okay?”

As he moves to brush past her, she reaches out and stops him. “Hey.”

“Mom,” Mike starts, but she takes her hand off in surrender.

“I just—” She studies him, lips pursed. “You used to tell me things.”

Mike barely manages to resist rolling his eyes. “Mom, seriously.”

“I know,” she says. “I won’t pry. I wish I didn’t have to.”

Great. Because Mike wasn’t guilty enough already about everything else, now he’s got to worry about shutting out his mom and taking her for granted.

He sighs softly. “Mom…”

“I’m sorry,” she interrupts, shaking her head. “I’m sorry; this isn’t the time.” She guides him forward a bit, towards the stairs. “Go to your friends.”

“Mom—”

“Michael.” She’s using her no-arguments tone, and even at fifteen, Mike can’t help adhering to it. “Go.”

Mike’s mind is whirring as he descends. He knows that his mother loves to pry, even if she says she doesn’t. But he never actually considered her prying a form of _care_. It gets him thinking that maybe she would care about him and Will. Mike wasn’t going to tell her, or his father, obviously, and besides that there _is_ no ‘him and Will’. But with how much his mother tends to meddle, it might be prudent to get her opinion on the… general idea. Just so Mike knows the risk factor for if and when she finds out.

Now, however, Mike has to see his friends. And work out the best way to get El alone without it looking weird.

Except… it won’t look weird, he remembers. Max is the only one who knows they’re not really a couple anymore. It’ll be like it was before when they would sneak off. But now he worries about giving Will the wrong impression—

Mike dispels the rampant thoughts from his head and opens the door to the basement. He can just wing it. He can do that. He does it all the time. Sometimes. Even though most of the time it ends kind of badly. _God, can his brain shut up for two seconds?_

“Hey,” Max greets him when he hits the bottom step. “What took you so long?”

Mike sighs inwardly and looks around at the others, eyes sticking on El for a moment, before turning back to Max. “Nothing. Where are we going?”

“Well,” Dustin says. “There's here, Max’s place, the arcade, the junkyard…”

“The junkyard?” Max repeats. “It’s freezing.”

Lucas snorts. “Yeah, only cuz you’re from California. The rest of us have thicker skin.”

Max’s eyes flash with annoyance and she opens her mouth to retort but Mike cuts in swiftly. “I’m voting for the arcade.”

“Me, too,” Will says.

Mike tries his hardest not to look at Will strangely, with all this built-up affection and panic he has rattling around inside. From the way Will looks back at him, Mike probably didn’t succeed.

“Fine with me,” Max says, still staring at Lucas.

“Okay.” Dustin glances warily between the two of them, and then at Mike for help.

“Okay,” Mike affirms. “Is everyone cool with that?”

“Sure,” Lucas says through gritted teeth.

 _Max really needs to talk to him_ , Mike thinks. He tucks the thought away, turning to his right. “El?”

She nods, staring at him with the usual, subtle hint of affection playing at the corners of her lips. And _shit_ , Mike has just realized that his type is cute, compact brunettes with pretty brown eyes.

Amazing.

“Alright.” Mike slides his hands into his pockets and curses his luck. “Let’s go.”

~<:>~

They spend about four hours in the arcade before Mike finally approaches El.

Much to her own surprise, El’s been having a lot of fun. She was nervous at the start, but all that disappeared quickly; Max and the boys collaboratively taught her how to play a variety of games— though clearly they all have an obsession with _Dig Dug_ (El prefers _The Oregon Trail_ , despite how terrible she is at it). She does get a kick out of watching the boys compete against each other, and the intensity with which Max plays _Dig Dug_ is, as always, endearing.

Even more intense is the way Max hovers beside El while instructing and encouraging her, sometimes touching her shoulder or back out of excitement, at one point even guiding her movements. Max does it so absently, but El’s breath hitches when Max’s hands cover her own and they’re close enough that El thinks Max can probably hear it (El fights the blush on her cheeks to no avail).

Eventually, everyone’s tired enough for a snack break. The group migrates toward the counter where Keith (who seems to work at every small business in town) sits, reading a comic book. El starts to follow, but she sees Mike hesitating out of the corner of her eye.

She watches him work up the courage for a few seconds before he wanders nervously forward. “Hey,” he says.

“Hi,” El replies softly.

“Do you wanna…” Mike gestures vaguely at the door behind him. “Get some air?”

El spares a glance over at Max, but she supposes it’s about time she and Mike had this conversation, so she nods.

There’s a bench out back that looks clean enough to sit on, though Mike wipes it with his sleeve before they do, then sweeps his arm out as though offering the seat to her. El giggles at his antics and accepts the offer. She really has missed him.

They sit in silence for a few moments, ~~and El tries not to think of Max’s wink from this morning despite its replaying over and over in her head.~~

“So,” Mike says into the cool evening air. “I’ve been meaning to ask if you’re okay.”

It’s an interesting way to start a conversation, and El doesn’t quite manage to control her confused expression, which sends Mike rambling to explain himself.

“I know we talked before the move, about… everything that happened.” _Hopper_ , the tone implies. “I thought maybe you were having a hard time, still. I mean, of course you are, just— you can still talk to me, you know. Unless you don’t want to, which is totally—”

“Mike.”

He closes his mouth and tucks his lips together.

El sighs. “I’m sorry I stopped calling you. I was... trying to figure things out.”

Mike nods, brow furrowed. “Right, yeah.”

He thinks they’re still talking about Hopper, and El has to push down _those_ emotions to tell him. “Not about…” But she still can’t say his name.

From Mike’s gentle silence, she can tell he understands.

Swallowing, El begins again. “I was trying to figure out... us.”

There’s another pause before Mike says, “Us?” And his tone is too difficult for El to place without looking at him, so she does.

And he seems genuinely confused for a moment, until he’s able to read her eyes, which El knows he can do far better than she can, and recognition dawns on his face.

“Oh.” He stares at the gravel. “Oh.”

El tries not to feel so guilty, but she can’t help it when Mike is being this soft.

“So… what do you mean, exactly?” Mike looks back at her. “Do you not want... this... anymore? Like, the kissing, and holding hands, and—”

“Yes,” El says, if only to put him out of his misery. “Yes, I don’t want it.”

Mike nods and he looks so sad, and El’s heart is breaking to have made him feel this way.

“But, I…” she starts, desperately trying to let him know how much he means to her. “Mike, I still…”

“Yeah, I know,” Mike says softly. “I actually…” He closes his eyes and sighs. “Feel the same way.”

 _What?_ El blinks at him, stunned. “You do?”

Mike shrugs, a bit helplessly. “Yeah.”

El can sense some relief mixed in with his confusion and she knows it’s not fair of her to be hurt, but she is. They’ve been through so much together and it feels so awful that either one of them could be thinking this way, let alone both of them.

“El.” Mike takes her hands, looks her in the eye. “I really, _really_ love you.” That heals some of the hurt in El’s chest. “And I know we’re talking about breaking up, but love— it doesn’t have to mean romance. You’re still so important to me. We’re still—”

“Friends?” El finishes.

Mike smiles at her, warm. “Yeah.”

Now El wants to cry out of joy. _Of course_ Mike wouldn’t abandon her. They’ll still have this. They’ll always have this. She squeezes his hands. “A friend is someone you’d do anything for.”

Mike gazes at her with that fondness he’s always held for her. “I would,” he affirms, voice tight. “Do anything for you.”

For some reason, El really wants to kiss him, but she knows doing so would probably send mixed messages. Her own brain is still sending her mixed messages. That she loves Mike so incredibly much, but she _wants_ Max even more. El never knew love could be so complicated.

That gets her thinking about the other mixed messages she wanted to talk with Mike about— though she’s not sure how he’ll react, and it’ll definitely derail the conversation. But. She owes it to her brother.

Carefully, she asks, “Would you do anything for Will?”

Mike’s hands go slack in hers and he pulls away. “What?”

El racks her brain for the right way to go about this, deciding on the approach she used before. “Will is your best friend, right?”

Mike still looks a little lost, but he nods. “Yeah. Well, I’ve had this discussion with Dustin already, but he and Lucas are my best friends, too.” He's deflecting, almost mumbling. “We’re all close.”

El studies him. “But Will is special.”

Mike flicks his gaze downward, softer. “Yeah.” Then clears his throat. “Uh, yeah— he’s special, I guess. I’ve known him the longest.”

“You would do anything for him?” El asks.

Mike nods. “Anything.”

So, it seems El was right about Mike’s affection for Will. But now she has to determine whether or not Mike is alright with the way that he feels, because Will certainly wasn’t.

She must be staring for a while, because Mike starts to look nervous. “Uh—”

“Do you know Will is gay?”

Whatever Mike was expecting her to say, it clearly wasn’t that. “Wh- _what_?” he stammers, eyes wide. “How— how do you even— know what that means?”

“Will told me,” El replies steadily. “And he told me you had a fight.”

Mike looks pained at that, but El still has to ask.

“Do you think he’s a freak?”

Mike frowns. “No! No, never!” he replies earnestly. “Did he say that? Does he think I think that?”

El gives him a sympathetic look. “Yes.”

All at once, Mike deflates, panic seeping away, sad eyes searching hers. “Shit, really?”

“Mike,” El says, trying to reassure him. “I know you never thought that. You don’t think like that.”

Mike doesn’t say anything back. He’s in as much distress as Will is, El realizes. Perhaps she can read people better than she thought.

“Do you love him?”

Mike turns his head away, looks down at his lap with his lips slightly parted. He doesn’t have to say it. El knows.

She goes to take his hand, gently, and he lets her.

“I don’t know,” Mike starts hollowly. “How to— to do this.”

Neither does El. But she doesn’t want to interrupt the moment by dragging Max into this, so she just lays her head on Mike’s shoulder, and they link their fingers together, and Mike leans into her. And they sit there for a while.

~<:>~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My bbys. Well, it hasn't been too long in between updates (not like my nooreva fic eheh). Chapter 3 is done and chapter 4 is in process. I'm thinking there'll be something like 6 or 7 chapters total. Definitely less than 10 anyway. Thanks everyone for reading & leaving kudos, and to anyone who's read all three works in the series!! <3 My goal is to share the Byler/Elmax content with the community, so :) Love y'all.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *content warning: one mention of the f-slur and mentions of past abuse* :(

Max watches Mike and El exit through the back door of the arcade with a curling in her stomach. She knows what Mike’s intentions are, but there’s still this flicker of doubt in her mind as to whether or not he’ll actually follow through. After all, he’s in a relationship with the most amazing girl on the planet. Maybe he’ll change his mind now that he has her again.

Turning back around to the snack counter, Max hugs her jacket closer. It’s none of her business. Even if there is still an annoying tug in her chest at the thought of El kissing Mike.

“What’s got you so pissed?”

Startled, Max looks to her right to see none other than Lucas Sinclair, whom she thought was the owner of that ridiculously low voice, but she wasn’t quite sure, considering he hasn’t said more than two words to her in months. She raises her eyebrows. “I’m sorry, are you talking to me?”

Lucas laughs mirthlessly. “Yeah, never mind. Wouldn’t want to interrupt your pining.”

 _Shit_. Max’s lungs constrict. “What?”

“Oh, come on,” Lucas drawls. “You’re not exactly subtle.”

Max really doesn’t want to have this conversation in earshot of Dustin and Will, though they seem pretty distracted by the snack options (and Keith). She steps closer to Lucas. “Wait, so you— you know?” she asks, bewildered.

Lucas clenches his jaw. “Yeah, Max. You dumped me and went straight for Mike. Wasn’t that hard to figure out.”

Max can’t really do more than blink and stare. Fucking _what_??

Her utter shock at Lucas’s asinine conclusion outweighs her amusement— and, frankly, _disgust—_ at the thought of her and _Mike_ together. _So this is why he’s been so distant?_

If ever there was a sign that Max was waiting for to talk to Lucas, this is definitely it. She wanted to sort out her feelings for El before she had this conversation, but she physically cannot stand Lucas— or anyone, for that matter— thinking that she likes Mike.

She grabs Lucas’s arm and pulls him toward the back room. The significance isn’t lost on her, as this room has kept many secrets since their first meeting here over a year ago. And it’s about to keep one more.

Max locks the door and rounds on her ex-boyfriend. “Okay. Let’s get one thing straight. There is no way in _hell_ , in _any_ earthly or otherworldly dimension, that I would be attracted to Mike.”

Lucas blinks, confusion spreading across his face. He crosses his arms suspiciously. “Really?”

“Yes! Holy shit, I don’t even want to imagine—” Max makes a face. “Just, no.”

That seems to put Lucas off the idea, at least for the moment. He relaxes his posture. “Then, why are you suddenly all buddy-buddy with him?”

 _And here comes the fun part_. Max sighs, holding Lucas’s gaze. “That’s a little harder to explain.”

In true Lucas fashion, he mock-seriously moves past her to examine the locked door. “Well, it looks like we’re stuck in here, so…”

“You are such an idiot,” Max says, dropping onto one of the chairs.

“Yeah, I know.” Lucas walks over and sits down across from her. “But you like me anyway.”

Max rolls her eyes at the familiar line. “Yeah, I do, stalker. But that’s not gonna work this time.” She presses her lips together, trying to streamline her thoughts. The teasing nature of their exchange is about to get squashed and she’s not particularly ready for it. But she has to do it.

She sighs. “Do you remember what I said to you in July, when we broke up? That I needed space, because of Billy?”

Lucas nods. “Yeah.”

“That’s not… the whole truth,” Max admits. “I did need space, but it wasn’t just that.”

Her blood is pounding in her ears. Depending on how this goes, she’ll either get Lucas back or lose him for good. But if the alternative is the cold non-friendship they’ve had these past few months, Max will gladly risk it.

“I, uh… I told Mike— the real reason. That you’re one of the best guys I’ve ever met. And I was really hoping it could work between us because of that. But it can’t.”

Lucas is still waiting, so patiently, for her answer, and Max tries not to let her voice break as she says it.

“I like girls.”

She looks away from Lucas’s face, then, to spare herself some of the initial awkwardness. “And Mike… got it, so we… I don’t know, bonded, I guess.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Lucas interrupts, waving his hands. “You’re…” He squints at her, leaning back a little like he’s afraid if he gets it wrong, she’ll hit him. “A lesbian?”

Max snorts. He’s such a sweet idiot. God, this is why she thought she could fall for him in the first place. “Yeah.”

She’s prepared to let him sit with the realization for a while, but he still seems confused. “So… you like girls.”

Max stares at him. “Yeah.”

“So… you _don’t_ like guys.”

“… Yeah.”

Lucas’s expression hasn’t changed in the slightest. “So, you broke up with me… because you’re…”

“… Gay,” Max finishes for him. “Yeah. So, it’s not you, it’s your entire gender. That I’m not into.”

That finally gets through. Lucas nods, contemplative. “Okay.”

He looks a little hurt, and Max feels it in her stomach, hands automatically going down to twist the hem of her shirt. “I didn’t mean to use you or anything. I really thought that I could… you know, change—” She bites her tongue. “It just doesn’t work like that.”

“No, I get it,” Lucas assures her. “I do.”

He still doesn’t seem mollified.

“I just—” He looks up at her, shaking his head. “You told Mike?”

Max senses where this is going. “Yeah.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Lucas stands, agitated, and starts to pace. “Why’d you have to fuck off and make me think— act like Mike’s your new best friend or some shit— God, Max, why didn’t you _tell me_?”

“Because it was easier!” Max says, standing, too. “Look, Mike’s a great friend and all, but I didn’t care what he thought of me.” She clenches her fists. “Lucas, I was scared that I would lose you.”

Lucas scoffs. “Yeah, because ignoring me for months didn’t accomplish that all by itself.”

Max starts to lose her cool at that. “You know what? You were a pretty active participant in the whole ignoring thing. And I _did_ just tell you, so why don’t you stop complaining? This isn’t about you.”

“How is this not about me?” Lucas asks, incredulous. “You went to _Mike_. You didn’t trust me! After everything— what did I do to make you think I wouldn’t be okay with this?”

Max gapes. “Seriously? When did we _ever_ talk about anything _close_ to this? How was I supposed to assume that you’d be completely cool with girls kissing girls when this entire town, country, and world wants to fucking murder people like me on principle!”

She can see the muscles in Lucas’s jaw flex as he takes in her words. “You didn’t seem to have any trouble assuming Mike would be cool with it.”

Max barely manages to resist slapping him. “Yeah, well, beyond the obvious reason Mike would be cool with it, he explicitly told me that he had no problem with it before I came out to him— something you’d given me no assurance of whatsoever before I told you. So shut the hell up.”

The tension crackling in the air between them slowly dissipates and Lucas caves, sitting back down. Max remains standing and tries to calm her breathing.

“Sorry,” Lucas says quietly.

Max doesn’t respond. She’s already forgiven him, but she’s not quite ready to let him off the hook out loud.

The truth is, he’s right. She did trust Mike more than him— but only because she knew about the Mike and Will situation and she was pretty sure that Mike was questioning his own sexuality— or, rather, trying _not_ to question it. So it’s not Lucas’s fault that Max didn’t trust him. It’s just that, for her, with this, it’s hard to be certain of who to trust.

Lucas breaks the short silence, his voice subdued. “What, uh… what were you and Mike… talking about? When he… _explicitly_ told you he had no problem with gay people?”

“Oh.” Max tries to be tactful. “Um, we were… talking about… gay people.”

Lucas raises an eyebrow. “Just, because?”

She really doesn’t want to reveal anything too personal. “We might have been… speculating about certain people we know.”

Lucas squints at her, annoyed this time. “What does that even—” His expression slowly drops. “Will.”

Max isn’t surprised that he knows, as it’s painfully obvious (even for a guy who assumed that she was into _Mike_ ). She nods carefully.

Lucas grimaces. “Yeah, Mike’s always had a soft spot for him. And Will adores Mike, but you probably picked up on that a while ago.”

Her and everyone else. “Yeah.”

“We don’t really… talk about it,” Lucas continues. “The four of us. I always thought that meant—I thought Will knew we were all okay with it, but I guess…”

Max sits down beside him. “You really can’t assume with this stuff. It’s dangerous, Lucas.”

“Yeah, Max, I know,” Lucas replies, somewhat testily. “I was there when Will’s dad left bruises on him, when people at school taunted him and whispered about him and called him a fag.”

Shock and pain ripples through Max and she suddenly can’t breathe. “Will’s dad used to hit him?”

Lucas nods. “Not frequently. But yeah.”

“Oh my god,” Max whispers involuntarily.

“Yeah,” Lucas repeats, echoing her tone.

Max’s brain unhelpfully conjures some repressed images of her own father— step-father— hitting Billy, which morph into a shadowy figure towering over a scared little Will. If Billy in all his strength couldn’t take it, Max can’t imagine what Will must’ve—

Lucas takes her hand. “Hey. Come back.” His voice has changed completely, now the gentle boyfriend she remembers. “It’s okay now. Will’s okay.”

“But he’s not,” Max murmurs. “We’re not.”

“Max—”

“No, I mean, for every decent guy like you there’s twenty who want to see us beaten or dead. And for every one of those there’s twenty more who don’t give a damn either way, but they still don’t accept it.”

Lucas quiets at that.

“I’m sorry,” Max says, shaking her head. “I know you know that, I—”

“You’re right,” Lucas interrupts. “Forget the fucking upside-down; our world _is_ dangerous, and it sucks, for people like you _and_ for people like me. I get it. I know it’s not the same, but I get it.”

A brief pause settles between them, and Max looks down as she considers Lucas’s words. He’s right; it’s not the same. Lucas has no way to hide the part of him that makes him different in their town. His so-called “lifestyle” is inoffensive— just as long as he’s comfortable being systematically oppressed and mistreated by white people everywhere he goes.

Max hasn’t thought too hard about their similarities before, and she feels awful for that. They’re both probably scared all the time, but they have to act like they’re not. People want to kill them solely for existing. And the battle for their respective rights is far from over.

Max believes in the theory that people gravitate towards each other because they are alike, in one or many ways. She supposes that’s why their friend group is a pack of weirdos rejected by societal norms. And Max loves her weirdos. Especially Lucas.

She looks back up at him, ready to apologize, but he beats her to it.

“I’m sorry for getting so upset, before.”

Max half-shrugs. “I’m sorry for not telling you.”

“You did tell me,” Lucas reminds her. “At least, I didn’t have to find out from _Mike_ or some shit.” He sighs. “But can you please just trust me from now on? Talk to me? I swear, I’ll listen.”

Max smirks. “Oh, now that we’re _not_ dating, you’ll listen.”

“Hey, I can still be your fake boyfriend, if you want,” Lucas offers, hands in the air.

“No, thanks, stalker,” Max replies. “That’s not fair to you.”

Lucas grins back at her. “Oh, now that we’re not dating, you care about what’s fair to me.”

Max rolls her eyes. She probably deserved that.

“Thanks, though,” Lucas says. “Really.”

He looks at her with such genuine compassion in his eyes and Max swallows thickly. “I guess I should say thank you, too.”

They’re quiet for a moment; Max savors the victory of having one less friend to worry about spilling her secret to. And she’s glad to have retained her friendship with Lucas. Their bond isn’t quite like the one Max has with Mike, but it’s just as strong. Max feels so incredibly lucky that she can trust them. They really are good guys, underneath all the idiocy.

Of course, Lucas ruins that immediately. “I’m still surprised you thought a straight guy wouldn’t like to imagine two girls kissing.”

Max glares at him.

“Yep, shutting up now.”

~<:>~

Mike heads home feeling about fifty pounds lighter. He didn’t expect his conversation with El to go so well and he’s relieved to know he’s not alone in feeling like their relationship has shifted. Mostly, he’s glad that they’re still close. They can still be friends, and they can still love each other. Without complication.

Originally, Mike wasn’t planning on coming out to El about the whole Will situation, but he supposes it’s only fair that she knows some of the reasoning behind their breakup. And, to be honest, Mike is tired of all the secrecy. Having one less person to shut out is a really good thing, currently doing wonders for his mental stability.

Their little bike parade down the moonlit roads dissolves once they arrive at the main intersection between everyone’s houses and Mike and Will split off toward the Wheelers’, walking rather than riding at this point. Since it’s just the two of them, Mike seizes the opportunity, nervous as he still is.

“Hey,” he starts. “Would you wanna… go somewhere tomorrow?”

Will looks confused. “Uh, yeah? I want to hang out with you guys while I can.”

“No, I mean, just the two of us,” Mike clarifies, grateful that his cheeks are heating up under the cover of darkness.

“Oh.” Will takes a beat to answer, not looking at Mike. “Sure.”

Mike nods awkwardly. “Cool.”

They don’t say anything else on the walk back, not even while putting the bikes away. When they get inside, Will bids him an abrupt goodnight and makes a beeline for the basement. Mike’s attention is pulled away from… whatever _that_ means, by his mother stepping out from the dining room.

“Hi,” she says. “Did you guys have fun?”

Mike stares at her for a bit longer than usual, contemplating whether or not this is a good time to have this conversation. “Yeah.”

“Okay.” She smiles and starts to retreat out of habit.

“Mom,” Mike calls her back.

She turns, a surprised and expectant look on her face. “Yes?”

Mike hesitates. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course,” his mother replies easily. “What is it?”

Mike’s a bit uncomfortable just standing in the foyer-slash-hallway at the foot of the stairs, so he turns and heads for the living room, his mother following, if somewhat slower.

“Michael, what’s going on?” she asks once they’ve sat. “You’ll tell me if it’s something serious like this summer at the mall—”

“No, it’s not—”

“Or when the government agents came?”

“Mom.”

She folds her hands on her lap and quiets.

“It’s nothing like that, I promise,” Mike assures her. “It’s…” He stalls, uncertain how to continue.

This suddenly feels like a horrible idea. No matter how loving his mother is, she’s always been flighty, tending to follow the crowd rather than forge her own path. Mike has no idea how she’ll react. Maybe if he phrases it as a hypothetical, she won’t read into anything.

“Um.” Mike doubts she’ll share this conversation with her friends, but she might not extend the same courtesy when it comes to his dad, and even Nancy; Holly’s still a little young to understand, but… either way, Mike’s not overjoyed at the idea of any of his family knowing he was even asking about this stuff.

“Michael?”

Well, he’s started it now. He might as well follow through.

“Uh.” He _really_ doesn’t know how to go about asking this. “Do you… uh…” He must look like an idiot, sitting there with his mouth half-open for his half-formed thoughts. “What do you… think about… people who… are… gay…?”

His mother’s eyebrows rise significantly. “What do you mean?”

 _Great, yeah, because he’s so good at explaining himself_. “Like… two guys or two girls… you know…” Mike trails off, hoping beyond hope she’s got it now.

From her expression, she understands, but she’s silent for a long time, just staring at him. Mike squeezes his hands together and tries not to panic.

“Michael…” she says finally. “Are you…?”

“No,” Mike replies immediately. “No— no.”

For some reason, it stings him to deny it. But his mother seems to relax and she sinks back into her chair, so at least it’s diffused the situation somewhat.

“Well,” his mother says, gaze wandering the room as she thinks. “It’s not something I… understand. I know this town isn’t very open to the idea. Really, I don’t know any place that _is_ open to it.” She looks back at Mike sympathetically. “Are you asking because of… Will?”

Mike doesn’t answer her and she seems to take his silence as a yes. She purses her lips.

“I don’t think it’s an abomination. And I don’t believe that anyone should be beaten or killed for it. It must be an incredibly difficult thing to live with.”

Mike nearly sighs in relief. So far, this is going both better and worse than he wanted it to. Clearly, his mother is conflicted on the issue, which is what he expected, but at least she’s not religious enough to care about sin or some shit.

“Mike,” she continues, voice a bit harder. “If you’re thinking of… shunning Will or avoiding him—”

“What? No!” Mike counters quickly. “I’d never do that.”

His mother nods. “Good. That poor boy needs friends. And I’ve always liked the two of you together. You’re both good influences on each other.”

Mike’s heart lifts a little. “Thanks, mom.”

She leans forward and puts a hand on the edge of his knee. “It’s gonna be okay. I’ll be here for you, and I’ll be here for him.”

Her words seem so confusingly supportive that Mike feels the urge to retract his previous denial. He stares at her, trying to maintain a neutral expression. “Mom,” he says, and his throat cuts him off after that one, broken syllable.

She looks over his face and some devastating emotions flash across hers and Mike knows that she knows, or suspects, but he can’t say it. He can’t. Not to her.

Her gaze is cast at the floor for a while, and then she sighs and nods. Like she knew this was coming, and she’s accepted the burden. As she stands, Mike looks up at her, vulnerable, afraid that she’ll just walk away and that will be the end of it.

But then she opens her arms.

Mike doesn’t cry. His breaths come shakily as he hugs his mother and it feels tentatively safe enough for him to stay there a while.

When they separate and say goodnight and Mike goes up to his room, when he shuts the door and locks it and slides down onto the floor, when the hollow indifference of the world creeps up on him and any sense of long-term happiness seems to slip through his fingers— that’s when he cries.

~<:>~

“So, how did your talk with Mike go?”

Max turns her head to look at El, and in this position— laying on their stomachs on Max’s bed— their faces are pretty close. El briefly considers kissing her until the question fully registers and she restrains herself.

“Good.”

Max nods, turning back to the _Fantastic Four_ comic. “Good. I bet you’re pretty happy to see him after all this time.”

“Yeah,” El says, sincere but nervous. Max seems… off. Her tone is casual but her body language is cold. It’s definitely got something to do with the topic of El and Mike; El knows that Max never really liked them together. Maybe she’s acting weird because she doesn’t want to voice that opinion. Maybe El should give her a reason to voice it.

“We broke up,” she blurts out.

Max tears her gaze away from the comic and raises her eyebrows. “Really?”

El nods.

Max appears flabbergasted (assuming El has the correct meaning). “Wow, uh— are you… okay?”

El nods again.

“Are you sure?” Max asks. “I know how much you two care about each other—”

“We’re still friends,” El clarifies.

Max tilts her head. “Okay. But… take it from me, if you want to get back together with him in a few days, that’s totally normal.”

“No,” El declares. “It’s over.”

She can swear there’s a blush on Max’s cheeks after she says it. “Okay.” Max smiles widely. “Well, here’s to being single,” she says, and holds out a fist.

El stares at it, confused, and Max laughs.

“It’s a fist bump,” the redhead explains, moving her free hand over to touch El’s. “Make a fist.”

El does, heartbeat quickening at the contact.

Max withdraws her hand. “Now, hit my fist. Gently!” she adds, making El smile.

As El taps their knuckles together to complete the gesture, it occurs to her that she still hasn’t told Max about her powers. She’s been a bit too focused on her crush and the energy has all but left her mind. She reaches out quickly and, to her relief, she can still sense it.

“It’s weird, I know,” Max says, breaking through El’s thoughts. “Just something people do. Like a handshake or a high-five. Humans love anything to do with hands. I guess because that’s how we got all our technology and shit.” Max holds up her hands. “Opposable thumbs.” She wiggles the aforementioned fingers for emphasis.

El really, _really_ wants to kiss her.

But there are all these emotions pent up inside that El’s never felt before, not even with Mike. She’s nervous and excited and shy and bold all at once. And she’s scared— terrified— that Max doesn’t feel the same way. No matter how many signals she gets, no matter how confident she may be, the risk is too daunting to convince herself to make a move.

She’s starting to understand where Will is coming from.

Instead of telling Max any of this, El opts to address her other surprise.

She holds out her hand, the way Max is doing, and wiggles her fingers. And all the hair on Max’s head slowly lifts into the air, giving the appearance that she’s hanging upside-down.

Max’s eyes go wide and she cranes her neck to look up at her own hair, mouth open, before looking back at El. “You got your powers back?”

El nods.

“Holy shit!” Max exclaims.

El can’t quite take her seriously looking like this, so she releases her hold on Max’s hair and watches it fall back down across her shoulders, in a very pretty display that distracts her more than the silly look did.

“When? When did this happen?” Max presses, sitting up on the bed.

“August,” El replies as she copies the movement.

Max smacks her arm lightly. “What the hell? Why didn’t you tell me?”

 _She’s so cute_. El shrugs. “I had to… figure it out.”

Max shakes her head, grinning fondly. “Well, Jesus, we’ve got our supergirl again!”

The familiar phrase fills El with warmth. “Will said that, too.”

“Yeah, we’ll all say it. You’re, like, our shield against all the bad shit. Our Wonder Woman! We need you.” Max pauses, looking guilty. “Sorry, I know that’s a lot of pressure.”

“It’s… okay,” El says. “I missed it, too.”

They smile at each other, and for a moment, El almost believes the affection running between them might be the same.

~<:>~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter starts the confessions!! Gonna need some time to make it as close to perfect as possible-- thanks again everyone for the support <3 We out here getting ready for some ANGST + FLUFF


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